Metallica as an icon

Due to the magnitude of this band, this has been blogged everywhere, but I still wanted to share my thoughts on this project.

I’ll start with the brief description; Turner Duckworth designed the new Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” album package plus redesigned their logo. Got it?

That’s already a lot to say but let me explain. A branding company creates a rock band’s branding. What a bright idea, see the difference?. Despite the anger of many early Metallica fans for having their band be globally known etc., and the band’s negative connotations with the Napster issue. This is the way things should be. A lot of the times you pick up an album to realize the inside is boring, then you ask yourself why you bought it in the first place?. Then bands ask them selfs why aren’t their albums selling?.

In the case of the new Metallica’s album, the graphics are closely tied in to the album’s theme. “The album is about fear. There are people drawn to death” Hetfield says. And the graphics speak for them selfs. The image was created to be recognizable even on a cell phone now that albums aren’t only viewed physically and I think it works.

I have to say I’m not a fan of Metallica but I do acknowledge their talent and admire the huge icon they are to the history of Rock — both musically and graphically — but seeing the great job that Turner Duckworth did, I’m considering getting a copy for myself. Over all a good work regardless of what most of their original fans think.

I really judge albums by the way the cover looks and often buy them because the cover and package looks interesting — The original purpose of an album cover —  I also buy them when I know who designed it beforehand. So is the case of many albums designed by one of my favorite record cover Design Studio Invisible Creature (previously Asterik Studio) which is a studio that understands music and are great at interpreting it graphically.

If you’re into album covers, I highly recommend visiting the following sites:
Sleevage – Album cover discusison (including behind the scenes process.)
Invisible Creature – Design Studio.
Peter Saville – Graphic Designer
Brand New – Further reading

Image via: Turner Duckworth